Hemispherical optical projection systems and methods are used to project images onto the inner surfaces of domes. Hemispherical optical projection systems and methods have long been used in planetariums, commercial and military flight simulators and hemispherical theaters such as OMNIMAX® theaters. With the present interest in virtual reality, hemispherical optical projection systems and methods have been investigated for projecting images which simulate a real environment. Such images are typically computer-generated multimedia images including video, but they may also be generated using film or other media. Home theater has also generated much interest, and hemispherical optical projection systems and methods are also being investigated for home theater applications.
Hemispherical optical projection systems and methods have typically required elaborate color correction and spatial correction of the image to be projected, so as to be able to project a high quality image over a hemisphere. Elumens Corporation has developed and offered optical projection systems that employ a constant angular separation hemispherical optical projection system to address these and other problems. However, such lens assemblies may require substantial and burdensome costs and design efforts, and may suffer from limited flexibility and other drawbacks in some applications.